


Knavish Knight

by 263Adder



Series: The Master's Maniacal Misadventures [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Allusions to Violence, F/M, Kidnapping, Reader-Insert, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24931417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/263Adder/pseuds/263Adder
Summary: As soon as you woke up, quickly realising with a daunting chill what was happening, you had tried your best to explain to your kidnappers what an enormous mistake they had made.
Relationships: The Master (Dhawan)/Reader, The Master (Doctor Who)/Reader
Series: The Master's Maniacal Misadventures [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728085
Comments: 16
Kudos: 77





	Knavish Knight

No matter how much you tried, it seemed no one in the room was capable of rational thought.

“Look, I really don’t think you understand how big a mistake you’ve made here.” You implored, leaning forward as much as you could when your hands and feet were tightly bound to the chair. “I know you think you’re blackmailing some rich business guy, but you couldn’t be further from the truth! It was just an act. He wanted to get close to the mayor so he could steal something from his vault. Originally he was just got to kill everyone and go straight for it, he only changed the plan because I thought the hors d’oeuvres looked good and fancied a few dances together.”

They didn’t believe a single word coming out of your mouth.

“Seriously, it’s not too late! He might not even notice I’m gone yet. He can be easily distracted; he’s probably monologing to someone about his scheme right now. Just let me go before he realises, and I won’t even mention this. I’ll tell him I got lost on the way to the toilet or something. He’ll believe that. He thinks my species is _so_ stupid.” You endeavoured. “Let me go, and you’ll all make it out of this alive.”

The man before you, who must be the one in charge given how often the others looked to him, scoffed. “You’ll say anything to save yourself. Well, your lies won’t work on us.”

“Yeah,” another man piped up, eager to join in, “besides, we already sent him the ransom demand. He’ll be giving us our money in two hours.”

Everyone surrounding you crowed excitedly at the prospect. You grimaced. You really had thought you might be able to save their lives.

“Okay,” you sighed, giving it one last try, “you at least took me far away from the party, right? I mean, you have time to get away before he arrives?”

You’d been unconscious for most of the kidnapping, barely realising someone was behind you before a syringe was stabbed into your neck and they whisked away you. As soon as you woke up, quickly realising with a daunting chill what was happening, you had tried your best to explain to your kidnappers what an enormous mistake they had made.

It was a pity. You really had been enjoying that party. It was so rare you got to socialise with other people. Usually, the Master started inflicting chaos as soon as you landed and everyone was too busy running away or screaming for you to strike up a conversation with them. Evidentially you’d both been defying nature by trying to have fun at the party – something like this had to happen to restore balance to the universe.

“We’re on a freight ship in orbit.”

You nodded. That wasn’t ideal, it meant there was nowhere these men could run to with breathable air, but it would have an engine.

“Right. So you’ll have escape pods? Yes? Good, stick me in one, blast it off, then start up the engine and get as far away from here as possible.”

The man in charge laughed, and, like sheep, the others hastily joined in. Your eyes rolled so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out their sockets.

“Yes, keep laughing. Go for it. You might as well spend the last few minutes of your lives having a good giggle. Keep it up.” You huffed, slumping back in your chair. No one could say you hadn’t tried, but what could you do if they wouldn’t take their own jeopardy seriously?

Their leaders laugh grew even more booming but one of his sheep frowned.

“Minutes?”

“Yes, _minutes_.” You emphasised. “Because when the Master gets here and finds me tied to this chair after you drugged me and took me _here_ ,” you glanced around at your dreary surroundings, the glitzy cocktail dress the Master had picked out for you looking ridiculously out of place amongst the squalor, “against my will, he will lose. His. Shit.”

You immediately felt the need to clarify as they slowly fell silent. “I mean, he already lost that years ago. But he’ll think this is a great excuse.” You groaned as you thought of what he might have planned. “I just hope he doesn’t make me watch you all die.”

“The Master,” one of them chuckled, glancing around at the others hoping they’d join in on the joke, “looks like we’ve found ourselves a real kinky bastard this time around!”

“The rich ones always are.” Their leader sneered. 

You didn’t like the way he was looking at you now. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the Master was close to catching you up.

“What about you, darling?” He asked, moving closer. “What are you into?”

He trailed a finger down your cheek and you repressed the urge to bite it off. You were clearly outnumbered.

“You don’t know who he is.” You said lowly.

“He’s a businessman.”

“He’s a homicidal lunatic.” You corrected.

“What have you got against the man?” He grinned. “Thought you two were close? Saw you two dancing when I got to the party, you know? He looked ready to drag you right off that dance floor to somewhere a little more private. Hmm? No? You didn’t seem to think he was a homicidal lunatic then. In fact, it looked to me you were rather enjoying his company. Unless, like us, you’re only interested in the money and not the small talk?”

You snarled at the insinuation.

He laughed again. It was becoming rather vexing.

“Nah. I know you’re lying. Got your panties in a bunch ‘cause you think we’re gonna hurt you. Well, we’re not. Providing,” he stressed, “your _homicidal lunatic_ keeps up his end of the deal. He gives us the money, we don’t cut off that pretty little head of yours and send him it.”

“He doesn’t deal with money.” You sighed. Like everything you’d said so far, that was true. As far as you knew, he’d never used money once since you met. “He takes what he wants and kills anyone who gets in his way. And right now? That’s you.”

“Will someone shut this bitch up?” The leader groaned.

A syringe was produced and, helpless to avoid it, you were drugged into unconsciousness again.

The drug, whatever it was, left you in a deep sleep. Nothing permeated through to you until someone roused you with a glass water thrown in your face. You had no idea how long you’d been unconscious for. The other men had left in the meantime, only one returning to wake you.

“Come on.” He said, untying you from the chair. “Your boyfriend’s here.”

While he freed your legs, your hands were still bound behind you back, and you struggled for balance when the man roughly pushed you forward.

You weren’t sure what you would find when they brought you to the ship’s bridge. The problem of the Master’s unpredictability combined with your active imagination. You’d pictured him dark with fury, teasing and difficult, calmly threatening. In hindsight, you should have known he’d decide to play a game.

“Oh, love. There you are.” He sighed in relief, his wide eyes locking onto you, shimmering with concern. His bow tie hung loosely around his neck, the tuxedo rumpled, his hair suitably messed, all to create the image of someone who had spent the last few hours without you fretting and restless instead of plotting murder.

Despite knowing better, it was hard not to buy into his act. Immediately, you longed to cross over to his side and assure him you were all right but, when your feet tried to take you there, you were swiftly grabbed and kept in place.

For a split second, you saw his eyes darken dangerously as he watched you handled in such a manner by those men, yet only you saw it. The others had already fallen for his latest performance, cackling over his perceived naivety. They weren’t really paying attention though, the bag overflowing with cash had captured their attention as soon as he had dumped it on the floor. The men hadn’t even thought to question his ship, which stood conspicuously in the corner as an antique wardrobe.

They never stood a chance.

“Did they hurt you?” He asked from across the room. His eyes darted everywhere to take in your condition, observing the slight rips in the hem of your dress, the damp strands of hair falling free around your face and the slightly glassy quality to your eye from being drugged.

“No. No, I’m fine.”

“Enough chit-chat.” The leader bit, getting impatient. “Give us the money.”

“And you’ll give me her back?” The Master asked with a wavering voice.

“Deals a deal.”

As soon as the Master kicked the bag to their side, you were shoved towards him. He caught you, quickly freeing your hands and pulling you into a tight side embrace. He was doing wonderfully in playing the part of a concerned lover. It was hard not to fall for it as he pressed his face into your hair. While the men crowed over their money, congratulating the Master for his smart decision to pay up, he dropped his head so he could whisper into your ear, still playing the part of your affectionate lover.

“I’m going to kill all of them.”

You shuddered even though you’d known as much. He would never forgive someone for blackmailing him.

He continued, “I will paint the stars with their blood. Make a mess so gruesome,” he breathed, his lips just barely connecting with your skin as he traced the shell of your ear, “that everyone in the known universe will know by tomorrow that you are off-limits.”

“Never again.” The Master promised. “You will never have to go through this again.”

Your heart thudded to a stop. Pulling back, you stared up at him with wide eyes, not sure if you’d just heard him right.

He stared back at you, the fire now openly blazing. “TARDIS is open, love. Close the door after you. I’ll find you when I’m done.”

Stumbling slightly as you left, you did as he said, not sparing the men a last look. It would only haunt you.

As soon as you were shut inside, you fell onto the couch in the console room, your head spinning.

You should go back to your room, you reasoned. Get changed, drink some water to flush the drugs from your system, try to get some rest. Instead, you stayed on the couch. You had to know, to see what he had done. The thought terrified you, but you had to know.

You were waiting quite a while.

The only thing you could hear was the soft humming of the TARDIS. Although today it seemed a little louder than usual. Perhaps it was trying to shield you from whatever was going on outside.

You’d been with the Master when he’d killed people before, but it never took this long. Not for half a dozen men. Usually, he’d just zap whoever got in his way or annoyed him with his TCE and that would be the end of it. Quick and clean, a little figure left behind. Sometimes pocketed if he found it amusing enough. You wondered – worried, really – what on earth he was doing to them that could take so long.

Whatever it was, you knew he was doing it for you.

The TARDIS quietly admitted him once he was done. His footsteps were heavy as he walked towards the console and inputted a new destination. He realised quickly that you were there – despite him hoping you had disappeared further into the ship where he could avoid you until he was properly cleaned up – but he didn’t talk to you until the TARDIS was in flight.

“Are you all right?” He asked gruffly.

Your response came a little too quickly as you took in the sight of him. He’d left a trail on the floor, one you barely studied for a second before pointedly looking away. “ _Yes_.”

The Master shot you a disbelieving look, his arched brow almost disappearing under the hair which had fallen over his face.

Under his heavy stare, you soon faltered. “A bit drowsy. They gave me a sedative.”

“They said it was a sedative?”

“Well, no…”

“Get to the medbay.” He sighed, turning away from you to look at the console screens. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Master, I don’t need to, I’m fine…”

“Go.” He commanded.

Rising from the couch on trembling legs, you hastened down the corridors. It took you a while to find the medbay, the TARDIS rearranging itself to buy the Master time. 

He’d changed by the time he arrived to check on you, all remaining traces of blood wiped away. The mania had faded from his eyes and he was calm as he urged you onto a bed, treating you delicately as he took a blood sample and encouraged you to stay laying down while he ran his tests. The whole time he worked he barely looked you in the eye, only touching you with caution.

When he was satisfied there was nothing wrong with you, he told you to go to your bedroom and sleep. “I’ve taken us to a different galaxy for the night. Go rest up.”

You stayed where you were, even when he opened the medbay door for you. He gestured through it, trying to convince you to move.

His calm detachment faltered as he finally looked you in the eye. You weren’t sure what he saw there, you’d felt strangely removed from your body ever since you’d made it back aboard the TARDIS. It was clear the Master didn’t like what he saw though, as his gaze shifted, once again looking anywhere except at you.

His hands climbed up to tug at his hair, pulling at it harshly to ground himself. With a wrench of pain, he was able to force out his next words. “I’ll take you home.” He said, his voice leaden with defeat.

You blinked in surprise. “What?”

The Master repeated his statement.

“But I’m not meant to go home for at least another week.” You protested, mind reeling. Not half an hour ago he had killed half a dozen men for you, yet now he was trying to send you home?

You immediately took his reaction to heart, deciding everything was somehow your fault. You were the one who was captured, he must consider you weak. An inconvenience. No longer worth the trouble. You’d become a risk, something people thought they could use against him. Why would he want to keep you around? Forever having to go to the trouble of rescuing you. Easier to send a clear message that he had no weaknesses then dump you back on Earth, no longer burdened, no longer obliged to act as your protector.

Tears spiked at the corner of your eyes but you refused to let them fall. You’d caused him enough trouble.

“I see.” You mumbled.

The Master’s hands fell from his hair, harshly scrubbing against his jaw. “I’ll give you some time to gather your things.”

“Oh, okay.”

A permanent removal then.

He turned to leave, to head to the console, but your heart wrenched and you had to stop him.

“Master!”

Reluctantly, he turned back.

“I – I’m sorry.” You apologised, your voice cracking. You couldn’t believe how badly you’d messed everything up. The time you’d spent travelling with the Master was the best of your life. All the things you’d seen, everything you’d done together. The thought of returning home, to a place you couldn’t even consider your real home while you were still cocooned within the comforting embrace of the TARDIS, was horrible. Everything would seem so grey, so dull, so pointless without the Master there.

Everything he’d given you would be gone forever as soon as you stepped outside, and it was all your fault.

“Sorry.” He repeated dumbly. “What are you sorry for?”

“Getting taken.” You said thickly, head falling with shame. “I should have been more careful. I’m sorry.”

“That is my fault, not yours.” The Master said, suddenly thunderous. His voice took you aback, and you stared at him. “I was the one who placed you in danger. Which,” he clarified, stalking towards you, “I have taken care of. I _promise_ you, no one in the known universe would _dare_ …”

His ear-splitting yell made you flinch, and he immediately dropped his voice, “no one would dare come after you again. I made sure of that.”

The gaze he fixed you with made you shudder delightfully as you quickly realised your real error.

“I’m just sorry you had to… go through that.” The Master said carefully. “I should never have allowed you to be put in such a position.”

“You think I _want_ to go home?” You asked incredulously.

He blinked at you. “Of course.”

“No!” You insisted, scrambling off the bed to meet him in the middle of the medbay. “Never. I never want to go home again. I want to stay here.”

As soon as the words left your mouth, you realised you may have overstepped your place somewhat and retracted some of your sentiments. “Well, I mean. As long as _you_ want me here. I can still go back to visit so I don’t get under your feet. But. Well. I want to stay. Here. With you.” You clarified. “If that’s okay?”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to stare at you searchingly, still waiting for the repulsion he expected to erupt across your face when it finally dawned on you what he had done.

Feeling he needed some help, you lightly took up his hand in yours and pulled it close to your body. He’d missed the blood underneath his nails, which he only noticed when you raised his hand, lifting it higher until you could press a kiss to his fingertips.

“I never thanked you.” You mumbled into his skin.

“For what?” He breathed.

“Protecting me.” You answered. “I should have thanked you when you came back.”

The Master’s face contorted with revulsion. “I didn’t want you to see me like that. You shouldn’t have been there. You should have come here or gone to your room. You – you should never have to see me that way.”

“I’ve seen you kill people before.” You pointed out.

He was quick to argue with you. “Not like that.”

“You did it for me.” You said, not needing to ask for his motives.

“I should have spent more time on them.” He said, closing his eyes as he thought longingly of even worse things he could have subjected those men to. They deserved every one of them for the crimes they committed against you. “I didn’t want to leave you for too long though. I didn’t want you to be alone.”

You smiled at him. “Thank you, Master.”

He became even more confused as you closed the remaining space between you both, pressing yourself into his chest. His hand was still clutched against your face and you nuzzled against it, not caring about the residual blood. With your free arm, you loosely encircled his waist and hugged him as best you could while he was so unresponsive. 

When he didn’t respond, you pulled away nervously.

“Sorry?” You said, unsure of his response. His face seemed so uncharacteristically blank. Usually, you could tell how he felt just by looking at him. He was an expressive person. Now, his eyes seemed hollow as they stared at you.

“Master?” You prompted.

He sighed, roughly rubbing at his head. “Didn’t it repulse you?”

“That you murdered those men? I’ve already told you, I’ve seen you kill…”

“Not like that.” He repeated. “Doesn’t it offend your moral principles that I caused such torment? I didn’t use the TCE, pet. It went on a bit.”

“I know.” Even though you hadn’t been able to hear what was going on outside the TARDIS, you knew how long the Master was gone for. And you saw the state he was in when he got back. You had some idea of what he had done.

“Doesn’t it repulse you?” He asked incredulously.

You thought about it – your imagination, unfortunately, pulling out all the stops in recreating the ways he could have killed them. You had tried to save those men, but they hadn’t listened.

“They weren’t good people.” You said. “They were going to hurt me if you hadn’t paid the ransom.”

“I would never have allowed that to happen.” The Master insisted, stepping slightly closer, emotion briefly flickering behind his eyes.

“I know.” You assured. “I knew you would come for me. I think that’s what kept me so calm throughout it all. I was never worried about dying. I knew you’d save me.”

“I could have been too late,” he tried to argue, “you shouldn’t have so much faith in me. You still need to be careful or one day…”

“I trust you, Master.” You told him, watching him fall silent again. “I wouldn’t want to stay if I didn’t. And I wouldn’t want to stay if I thought you’d gone too far today. I – I understand why you did it. I know you want to keep me safe.”

“Travelling with me is dangerous, love.”

“I know. You’ve told me every day since I’ve come aboard.” You chuckled, trying to lighten the atmosphere. “Luckily for both of us, I like a little danger.”

“I’m more than a little dangerous.” The Master said darkly.

You laughed again, nervously this time. “Luckily for both of us,” you said, trying to seem confident, “I like you too.”

Pressing yourself into his arms again, too anxious to see his reaction to your words, you exhaled in relief when he finally reciprocated your embrace. The Master rested his head against yours and, so quietly you barely heard it, he confessed, “I like you too, pet.”

Speaking louder, he told you, “All right. You need to get some sleep, love. Long day for the human.”

As you were still cocooned in his embrace, you felt confident enough to ask, “Can I sleep in your room tonight?”

He didn’t answer right away and you worried you’d crossed a line again. He had let you do so before in the past after that mysterious stranger had invaded the TARDIS, but perhaps those had been exceptional circumstances.

“Sorry,” you apologised again, “I just…”

“Don’t apologise.” The Master said. “You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for what you need.”

Tilting your head back, you looked up at him. You knew full well what you wanted, but what you needed at that moment: “I just, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Don’t worry, pet. I’ll keep you safe.” He promised.

Scooping you up, despite your protestations you could walk, he started carrying you back to his room when he suddenly realised you were still dressed in the cocktail dress you’d been taken in.

“Let’s get you some clean clothes first,” he encouraged, detouring to your bedroom. You tried to get them yourself but he batted away your hands and picked up your pyjamas for you, tossing them on your stomach as he carried you back to his room.

He dropped you into the bathroom first, where you were unable to resist a quick shower before changing. Much like all the rooms he had designed for himself, including his bedroom and library, it was a stunning space. While you’d never complained about the rooms you’d been assigned on the TARDIS, after seeing his you decided you’d have to ask about an upgrade. His bathtub was the size of a pool.

He was waiting for you outside, sat in his desk chair. He hopped up as soon as you walked in, taking you by the shoulders to guide you towards the bed. Everything inside was as beautiful as you remembered. The dark panelled walls, leading your eyes up towards the vaulted ceiling. His large bed, its pale gold sheets, which felt soft on your skin as the Master settled you down. It smelled of him and you felt all the remaining tension in your body disappear as he pulled the blankets over you.

“I’ll go get you some water. It will help flush the drugs out of your system.” He offered.

“No,” you protested, catching his arm as he tried to move away, “it’s fine. Can you just lay here with me, please?”

The Master seemed to have overcome some of the boundaries he’d tried to impose the first time you shared a bed, immediately pressing into your side instead of trying to maintain space between your bodies. Brushing the hair away from your face, the Master gently petted you until you fell asleep, promising over and over again until he was confident you would believe him that he would never let anything happen to you.

“I promise, pet. You will never have to go through this again.”

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously, why did I make all these titles alliterative! This ended up longer than planned, but I'm quite pleased with it. I hope you all enjoyed reading!
> 
> N.B. I've now made a Discord group for Master fans (and other Dhawan characters like Orlo, Davos etc). If you're interested in joining, message me on Tumblr for the link! I'm under the same username.


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